I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which began in April of 2004, is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos and provides members of this community a venue to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IGTNT title is a reminder that nearly every day the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
~ image credit llbear
Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of Heaven,
Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Since 2001 we have lost 2125 American troops in Afghanistan and a total of 3190 American and coalition forces.
Honoring and Remembering:
Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts
Amazing Grace and Taps
Performed at Arlington National Cemetery
Day is done...Gone the sun
From the lake...
From the hills...
From the sky.
All is well...Safely rest
God is nigh.
Gunners Mate Second Class (GM2) Dion Rashun Roberts,
23 of North Chicago, Illinois
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion R. Roberts, 25, of North Chicago, Ill., died Sept. 22, as a result of a single vehicle accident in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He was assigned to an East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit. ~ DoD News Release
Dion Roberts was a 2005 graduate of North Chicago High School where he excelled in volleyball and tennis, was a member of the finance club and in the Navy's Junior ROTC program. Flags at the school flew at half staff on Monday and students held a moment of silence upon learning the news of Robert's death.
Eric Gallagher, school principal:
Eric was a team leader, a motivator. He was very well-liked among his peers. Teachers felt that he had great character and was a really friendly kid.
Commander Raymond Scott, former Junior ROTC supervisor:
He had the right stuff and he was dedicated. He was in the top of his class and he was determined to complete and be the best that he could.
Former volleyball coach, Edward Wrather said:
I think he went the way he would have wanted to go which is honoring country.
The Fab Five who enlisted together
Dion was part of a special group of young men known as the "Fab Five". They were all involved in school sports, were members of the ROTC, graduated together and they also enlisted in the U. S. Navy together, hoping to make a difference.
"We were all so different but together we had that energy," said Antoine Gilmore, friend.
"We kept our heads on straight, we did a lot of community service with ROTC," said Aamin Stokes, friend.
Thomas Ulbert, a retired journalism and yearbook instructor at North Chicago High School said Roberts was "the cream of the crop" and began a
Dion Roberts Tribute Page on Facebook on Tuesday which quickly began filling up with accolades for this exceptional young man.
Dion was a Sailor's Sailor. We are so proud of him! Thomas Ulbert
"A good student with a sharp sense of humor and winsome ways with a twinkle in his eyes, Dion has enriched our lives. May he now move on to his rich reward. Proud to be an American. Proud to be in the Navy. Proud to have served his country, giving his ALL. We, ALL of us, are proud of you: a son, a brother, and a friend to many." Sarah Holbrook, retired NCCHS English teacher
GM2 Roberts enlisted in the Navy during his senior year in high school and according to a Navy spokeswoman, was a member of a special operations team.
Dion's sister, Jaleesa Roberts, 21, was at home with her mother on Sunday morning when officers delivered the news of her brother's death in a training accident. Jaleesa said the family was expecting Dion, an only son, back home in November.
Hearing about his death was devastating and Jaleesa said she would miss his smile and his spirit most of all.
He never took life for granted. He had been to Bahrain. He would say that I better be grateful for what I have because a lot of people don’t have half of what I have, not a quarter of what I have.
She added that his unit had reported that Dion was a jokester:
They told us he embraced everything they threw at him.
Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Dion R. Robert's funeral is set for Monday, October 1st at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Waukegan, IL.
~ Source ~ Source ~Source
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About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, kestrel9000, TheFatLadySings, Ekaterin and me, JaxDem.
These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
Sgt Bowe R. Bergdahl
The only known current Prisoner of War is Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 26 who was captured by the Taliban in June of 2009. Five propaganda videos featuring Bergdahl have been released by the Taliban. A website has been established with the most up-to-date information on Sgt. Bergdahl.
Please keep good thoughts and prayers for Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.